Contents

Issue

Our planet and its ecosystems supply us with all the natural resources we need to survive - essentials like clean air, water, food and fuel. Contact with nature is good for our physical and mental health.

Biodiversity - the variety of life on earth - is declining, with up to a third of all animals threatened with extinction. Climate change is contributing to this decline, causing the diversity of life to be lost at a faster rate than ever before. A 1ºC rise in global temperatures threatens the survival of 10% of these species.

In England, much of our biodiversity, including many of our birds, butterflies and plants, is declining. Our wildlife areas are too disjointed and fragmented, which makes it harder for wildlife to flourish and respond to climate change and other pressures, like pollution.

All countries need to act to improve biodiversity and preserve natural ecosystems. Otherwise the natural environment, wildlife and human life as we know it are all at risk.

Actions

Protecting and managing wildlife and areas of land

We’re meeting our national and international obligations to protect wildlife by:

agreeing and enforcing laws against wildlife crime, in the UK and internationally

Background

We’ve produced Biodiversity 2020, our strategy for biodiversity in England. This describes how we’ll stop the decline of biodiversity in England, in line with our global and EU commitments. It takes into account ‘Making space for nature’ (2010), a major review of England’s wildlife sites and ecological networks.

Who we’re working with

We rely on all sorts of organisations to help us conserve biodiversity and ecosystems. These range from nature conservation charities to farmers and other land managers, even individuals managing their gardens in a wildlife-friendly way.

Nature conservation charities such as the RSPB, National Trust and The Wildlife Trusts play an important role in helping wildlife and getting people involved in taking action for wildlife.